This will be a blog for Christians, for people who are part of a minority, for writers. I'm a poet, essayist, devotionalist, reviewer and writer of speculative fiction.Let God be true...and every man a liar.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

As we know, disabilities come in all kinds. Mental, physical, emotional.

One of the problem with creating/defining a disabled character is deciding how restricted one's character will be. A character who is utterly unable to move will not be available for derring-do unless his mental/dream world is being explored or unless he lives in a world that allows for his mind and heart are able to affect people and situations. This kind of utterly disabled character could be asleep, in a coma, in cryo-sleep or even dead. However, for the most part, a disabled character generally is able to move around.

There are also disabled characters who are not really disabled. This often happens in sci-fi where technology is so advanced that a disability hardly matters anymore. There are also stories where disabilities are considered romantic -- the odd eye-patch, a blind character such as Star Trek's Geordie who seems more hip than challenged (It's the future, after all!) or a character with an attractive limp. Consider the movie, Avatar, where for all intents and purposes, the hero's disability doesn't matter to the extent that it should, and his being helped by a female of a lower/different class feels a bit like Mr Rochester being helped by Jane Eyre. Whatever the effect, the film's creators can preserve their cake and eat it simultaneously. In some fantasies, as in the Drakengard video games, often some exchange is made between the disabled and some other entity which renders the disability useful in some ways. For instance, Caim gives up his voice to bond with his Dragon. It's a loss but it's also a gain.

There is also the situation where a disability is not seen -- by the disabled character, by fellow characters, by the audience, or by the reader as a disability. This can be good, bad, idealized, or romanticized. In the original Star Trek, the Vulcan Spock (and many of the so-called advanced cultures) are idealized because of their inability to feel emotions. There is also a disability which is a kind of living death, a character who has some kind of debilitating ever-worsening illness which makes them continually at war with their bodies, for instance, "The Incredible Shrinking Man."

Whether mentally, intellectually, or physically disabled, a character with a disability is also affected spiritually. They are "marked" in some way that makes them view the world a little differently than others in their world.

Because of my health issues and my son's, I have become very interested in abilities, afflictions, infirmities, and disabilities. I try to see how being disabled can be strengthening to the human soul and how it opens the eyes to situations the able-bodied do not see. I don't think one has had to suffer in order to have one's eyes open to the world but I think it helps. For me, a disabled hero (with a true disability) is an excellent character. I will admit that I often write about disabled characters as a kind of catharsis, or to show the able-bodied how difficult life is for the sickly. But I also write about disabled characters because they populate the world I live in -- especially with the rise of autism in the US population) and they rarely show up as heroes in fantasies. . I feel we ought to show the lives of all kinds of people that disabled people and the "unseen" can see themselves in literature, and that others can see them as well.

In my short story, Lingua Franca, the inhabitants of a far-off planet do not consider themselves disabled. In my novel, Wind Follower, the main character is so ashamed of his disability (epilepsy) that all around him pretend not to see it in order to spare him from shame. There is also an autistic learning disabled character who -- although she is almost an old woman-- is a playmate of the main character. In my novel, Constant Tower, disabled boys born in the Wheel Clan are either killed or made into "living ghosts" called studiers, who are made to feel grateful because they have been spared death. -- Carole McDonnell

Difference and Ability in F&SF

Chris Howard

I spent some time thinking about this month's roundtable
topic, disability in fantasy (and SF), building a list of characters I can
remember from the literature as well characters in my own books that come to the
story with physical or mental differences--differences that force the character
down less certain paths or put boundaries on action, sometimes painful
boundaries.

I started
out with the idea this was going to be difficult, that disabilities in fantasy
and science fiction were poorly represented, but hoping that was just my own
limited scope of reading, and the lack of differently-abled characters was not
pervasive. I think, it turns out, I was
partially correct, that there aren’t many examples, but there are significant
ones—just from the books I have read.
Many more from books I have yet to read.

Lois
McMaster Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan, born with significant physical impairments,
came immediately to mind. (Bujold has
characters with disabilities in several books). Michael Moorcock’s Elric was another, although it’s been decades
since I’ve read the stories. William
Gibson has several stories containing characters with prostheses, or characters
who are wheelchair-bound. There are
also a few Tim Powers books, but the one that comes to mind is The Stress of Her Regard, in which the
main character, a physician, lives with physical and mental disabilities, as
well as other characters with prosthetic eyes and missing limbs. (I did google around after writing this
post, and found the "Decloaking Disability Bibliography", a fairly
long list of authors with books that attempt "to explore the intersection
of disability and technology within texts from the genres of science fiction
and the literature of the fantastic." It’s an impressive list, and just
shows that I need to find more time to read.
Link below).

As my kids
have moved through the teenage years I’ve read more and more YA lit, and my
impression is there’s some real focus on disabilities there, characters with
paralysis, speech limitations, bulimia, dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome. Most of these aren’t in fantasy or SF books,
but in stories that focus on characters struggling to cope with differences in
a social context, characters breaking free of walls they have put up
themselves, or that society has constructed to hold them back.

This
month’s topic also made me look critically at my own work. I do have a few characters with limited or
missing senses and limbs (Emandes in Sea
Throne, Corina in Seaborn who has
lost the complete control of her body), but not that many. I have written several books with main
characters who struggle continuously against mental limitations or
differences—Kassandra in Saltwater Witch­,
Thea in Dryad. Internal struggles form the basis for my
favorite kinds of characters. This
month’s topic put the focus on an important missing element in my reading as
well as my writing.

Finally,
there’s an interesting recent example—a recent read for me anyway—in Joe
Abercrombie’s character Monzcarro
“Monza” Murcatto, who begins the first page of Best Served Cold as the ruthlessly competent fighter and captain of
Styria’s most feared mercenaries, but by the end of chapter one she’s
mercilessly killed and thrown off the battlements into a ravine. Duke Orzo, who commands and orchestrates the
whole thing, can wipe his hands and go about his continued political
maneuvering with his greatest military threat broken and lying in her own blood
below his castle, dead.

Almost.

Monza, it turns
out, is only mostly dead. She’s picked
up—almost in pieces—by a mysterious stranger and nursed back to a damaged but
still breathing version of her old self.
As you can guess by the book’s title, she sets out to destroy everyone
involved in her “death”. I won’t be
giving anything away in saying I think she does okay.

Chris Howard is a creative guy with a pen and a paint brush,
author of Seaborn (Juno Books), Salvage (Masque/Prime, 2013), and a shelf-full
of other books. His short stories have appeared in a bunch of zines, latest is
“Lost Dogs and Fireplace Archeology” in Fantasy
Magazine. His story “Hammers and
Snails” was a Robert A. Heinlein
Centennial Short Fiction Contest winner. He writes and illustrates the
comic, Saltwater Witch. His ink work and digital illos have appeared in Shimmer, BuzzyMag, various RPGs, and on
the pages and covers of books, blogs, and other interesting places. Last year
he painted a 9 x 12 foot Steampunk Map of New York for a cafe in Brooklyn. Find
out everything at http://www.SaltwaterWitch.com

The Abilities of Disability – at Least in Fantasy

In real life, disability is exactly what it says. A lack. A limitation. A loss of possibilities open to others, whether to see, to hear, to walk, to run, or just to go a week without the black dog of depression dropping on your back to take the taste out of everything.

Atop the inner physical limitations, come external ones: doors too narrow for a wheelchair, handles too high to reach, prompts or safety signals only visible, or only audible. A flight of “simple” stairs. Even an escalator can be another infuriating check to someone with a “disability.”

Add on the invisible limits: as with race, class, and colour, even heterosexuality, disability can leave a person either Othered or literally invisible. Even when visible, the unlucky Other has to run the gauntlet, if not of naming for the problem – right up or down to names like Hopaling Cassidy – then of the other egregious reactions, from pity to repulsion: less happily than Hopalong, the person vanishes behind the stereotype.

In fantasy, as with race, class and colour etc., things could, even ought to be different. Alas, a quick mental survey of Fantasy I Have Read matches too well with the real-world social map: blind seers or crippled beggars appear quite often among minor or even lesser characters. I can recall only one high-to-mid-level blind character, the bard in Tanya Huff’s Four Quarters series, who is definitely and encouragingly NOT disabled by his blindness and indeed, in the first book, plays a crucial climactic role.

Again, in The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner offers a powerful cameo of her previous lead character, the great swordsman Richard St. Vier, now suffering from loss of all but peripheral vision, yet devising his own remedies, to remain a swordmaster unparalleled.

Barbara Hambly has two main male characters, wizards whose magic is off-set by poor vision. One is Antryg Windrose, her most notable wizard, and perhaps my favourite among wizards, Gandalf included. Antryg’s myopia is definitely not “disabling” – though his ability to practice martial arts without his glasses does stretch my credibility – it is only one in a bouquet of anti-establishment attributes. Antryg comes from a dirt-poor tundra family, he learnt his arts from the series’ main villain, and he is more gloriously dotty than even T. H. White’s Merlin, even Antryg frequently considering himself to be outright mad.

There is no deaf, blind, and certainly no paraplegic or quadriplegic main character or protagonist in any fantasy I can think of (and don’t mention Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan, his universe is unequivocally SF.) Does this mean mainstream fantasy is as exclusive of the disabled as of non-WASP, middleclass, heterosexual protagonists?

There is some justification, on narrative grounds. Fantasy is, after all, an adventure genre. Protagonists have to be equally fit for flight or fight, accustomed or at least able to confront dragons and scale castles at a blink. As Hambly’s Californian geek computer programmer ponders at one point in the Windrose series, after three days spent on the run, or the walk, in a pre-Industrial countryside, eating bread and cheese and sleeping in haystacks: “Thank God I don’t have allergies – that’s probably something selected against in the evolution of heroines.” (Silent Tower 179.) And so are blindness, deafness, and of course, any form of wheelchair limitation. Disabilities just make things too difficult for the writer, you see?

But should they? Try telling anyone that Long John Silver’s wooden leg limited Treasure Island in any way, adventures included. Come to that, does lameness limit Hopalong Cassidy? Sure, it would probably bring an appreciable change if Long John had needed to push a wheelchair over Hispaniola, but otherwise?

In fact, for a writer, disability should present not a limit but a valuable asset, especially in building characters. And by this I don’t mean simply turning the “disabled” to an Other of terror and nightmare, as Long John Silver becomes. Without going completely Pollyanna, I consider disability in a main character will give a writer not just means to individualize him/her, but to strengthen that character morally, emotionally, and what matters most to a writer, charismatically.

I can say this from experience: in the third Amberlight book, Source, I invented an imperial heir, known as a crown prince, with a “delicate stomach,” that could be upset without warning or rule by certain foods. (Art again anticipating nature, I later found one of my own friends actually has this problem.) At the time, this was just an individuating quirk in a mid-range character. But Therkon went on to become the male lead in the fourth, (unpublished) book, Dragonfly, and there I was charmed to find his stomach upsets did not merely show Men under Pressure Behaving Well, but could actually function as part of the plot. Not merely to hamper the action at crisis but to advance the emotional plot (love-story, okay?) and, in one case, to help hero and heroine out of a tight corner as well.

Again, though I can’t recall a fantasy hero with a mental disability, (there are a few in SF), I managed to produce one who could suffer from clinical depression. Also unpublished as yet, The Heart of the Fire was meant as my version of the super swordsman: silent, deadly, impregnable to all finer feelings. Unfortunately, by Chapter 2 his workname had become The Killer Caramel, since he had developed an incurable weakness for fostering orphan calves.

Later more lethal character flaws surfaced: at life crises he would drink himself, not into mere alcoholism, but to a hair-trigger readiness to take offense, and his case, kill someone. Or someones. Later, he would sink into life-threatening lethargy. Only after four books and buckets of wonderfully dramatic angst did his life even out to a point where these phases finally faded away.

Such “cures” are less available in reality. But as a writer, I have found disability, at least of a “minor” variety, a powerful and fertile trope. Ironically, at least to a writer, “disability” should be considered less a limitation than a valued basis on which to build a strong, dramatic, even charismatic hero/ine. And what writer would consider one of those a disability?

Sylvia Kelso lives in North Queensland, Australia. She writes fantasy and SF set in analogue or alternate Australian settings. She has published six fantasy novels, two of which were finalists for best fantasy novel of the year in the Australian Aurealis genre fiction awards, and some short stories in Australian and US anthologies.

Disabilities and the Fantastic

In Irish mythology, only a king without imperfections could sit on the throne. According to The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore (Checkmark Books, 2004) “a king could only claim the goddess of the land as his wife—and through her, sovereignty of the country—if he were whole and without blemish. If injured he was forced to abdicate the throne” (49). So it was for Nuada, who lost his hand or arm in battle, and had it replaced with a silver one (thus becoming Nuada of the Silver Hand). This injury meant he had to give up his leadership of the Tuatha Dé Danaan.1 Only when he is given a magical prosthesis is he allowed to return to the throne. His silver hand is not enough; it has to be covered by a special skin to appear normal (362).

Nuada lost his throne, thanks to prejudice against the disabled. That he did is indicative of attitudes which suggest that those who are not “whole” are no longer capable, and that their disability somehow hurts others, in this case, the people he ruled. Nuada was still able to fight with his silver appendage, but that wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t whole; he couldn’t be king.

Tiny Tim, in A Christmas Carol, is another disabled character in fantastic literature. His lonely crutches in the corner, carefully preserved, are a familiar image to many readers. If he is not treated, death is his future—and it is only through the repentance of Scrooge’s evil ways that Tiny Tim can receive the medical care he needs. Unlike Nuada, who experiences prejudice, Tim is accepted and loved by his family. But it could be argued that Dickens is exhibiting prejudice against the disabled, as he isn’t a fully realized character; rather he is a symbol of repentance and redemption, an image of pity, and not a little boy who happens to have a disability.

So, what is going on with the presentations of the disabled, of disabilities in the fantastic? Surely, there are characters who are more than just victims of prejudice and pathetic imagery? My (admittedly unscientific and indeed casual) research for this blog took me to The Passive Voice website (http://www.thepassivevoice.com/09/2012/10-inspirational-disabled-characters-from-sci-fi-and-fantasy/), and “10 Inspirational Disabled Characters from Sci-Fi and Fantasy.” Tyrion Lannister, from Game of Thrones, immediately got my attention. Yes, as Passive Guy says, “The insults thrown at Tyrion Lannister in both the books and the TV show Game Of Thrones are, sadly, a reflection of what many dwarfs in our real world have to go through (although Tyrion, being a contrary sort, takes one of these insults – “Imp” – and makes it his own).” But he is presented as a “fantastic character first, a dwarf second . . .Of course his size is an important part of what makes him Tyrion, but he’s so much more: clever, sardonic, scheming, sexy and vulnerable. Tyrion is not “just” a dwarf: he’s one of the best characters on TV right now.”

Another character I found intriguing was Toothless, from How to Train Your Dragon. He has a damaged tail, which dooms him to being flightless, and thus, probably to death. Young Viking Hiccup, however, makes him a prosthetic tail (perhaps the “first dragon-limb-replacement”) and he takes wing. According to Passive Guy, Toothless is a “great example to set kids who might never have thought about what it means to need prosthesis.”

All right, so far, so good. Better, yes? Well, not according to one commentator, Steve Godden, who felt the entire list bordered patronizing, and borderline insensitive. Must the disabled be inspirational and good examples? Can’t they just be a dragon who needs a tail, or a prince who happens to be a dwarf? Godden found this list to be “[offputting sic] as characters are being defined by their disabilities, and therefore not as whole people. He notes that the “One of the things the athletes at the para-Olympics requested is that the term ‘inspiring’ should not be used.” As he further notes, “Characters are only ‘inspiring’ if they stoically accept their disability.” However, another commentator, Mira, brings up the question of intent. Why are these characters in the story at all? It is important, she argues, that the disabled be seen, and not hidden away or (often literally) looked over. According to Mira, “. . . sometimes those in a targeted community sometimes get too caught up in political correctness, and forget intent. Sensitivity is important, for sure, but sometimes there are positive things happening even if they are not 100% sensitive.”

True and Godden agrees: “Representation is important, I just wish we had reached a place where there was no need to represent because it was no longer an issue.” But we will always have the disabled, whether due to genetics or an accident or disease. The place we need to reach is one in which there is no longer discrimination against the disabled, and they are considered whole people, and not a disability, or inspiring examples.

In the interest of full disclosure (and shameless self-promotion) two of my main characters in Harvest of Changelings and The Called, Russell and Jeff have learning disabilities, a legacy from their fairy heritage. I remember being quite aware of not making them an image but fully realized people who are, among a long list of adjectives, also learning disabled. I hope I succeeded; that was my intent.

So, there has been progress from Nuada’s disguised hand and Tiny Tim’s presentation as an image and not a boy who is disabled. A bad-ass prince, a dragon, and two boys who help save the world. They are real, visible, and certainly not stoic and they are certainly more than their disability: they are heroes.

Let’s keep on until we reach the place where the disabled are just there, among the rest of us—all part of the human rainbow—including disabled villains.

Warren Rochelle has taught English at the University of Mary Washington since 2000. His short story, "The Golden Boy” (published in The Silver Gryphon) was a Finalist for the 2004 Gaylactic Spectrum Award for Best Short Story and his novels include The Wild Boy (2001), Harvest of Changelings (2007), and The Called (2010. He also published a critical work on Le Guin and has academic articles in various journals and essay collections. His short fiction has appeared in such journals and publications as Icarus, Collective Fallout, North Carolina Literary Review, and The Silver Gryphon. His story, “The Boy on McGee Street,” was recently published in Queer Fish 2.

You've been wounded, and you just can't seem to heal. You try to get on with your life, but you just can't move on. This paradigm–shattering book will free you from the forces that would turn you into a victim. It will lead you step–by–step through a simple process that will free you from the pain of the past and protect you from the pain of the future. Discover the emotional freedom that everyone wants but few experience, free yourself from the need to judge others, and learn the only biblical way to prevent pain!

From the Back Cover

Pain Is Inevitable

Suffering Is Optional

We all experience pain! Every day millions of people live in a world of heartache. We're forced to smile and pretend that everything is all right. You've been wounded, and you just can't seem to heal. You try to get on with your life, but you just can't move on. You forgive, but you can't forget! Every day exhumes the pain you try to bury. It cripples your relationships with people, God, and life itself. It destroys your ability to pursue your dreams.

This paradigm–shattering book will free you from the forces that would turn you into a victim. It will lead you step–by–step through a simple process that will free you from the pain of the past and protect you from the pain of the future.

* Discover the emotional freedom that everyone wants but few experience* Break the secret link to the pain of the past* Identify the number one source of suffering* Never be hurt by another insult* Learn the only biblical way to prevent pain* Free yourself from the need to judge others* Experience freedom from criticism

About the Author

James Richards is an author, teacher, theologian, and businessman. His success in these areas has placed him in demand as a speaker and personal advisor to business, clergy, and leaders. His personal process of emerging from years of pain, dysfunction, and deep bitterness has given him proven tools for freedom from personal pain. While he holds degrees in theology, human behavior, and medicine, his teaching is simple, well rounded, understandable, and easy to apply. The results have been proven in nearly 30 years of personal, professional, and clinical application. The end result of applying his teachings and methods includes a peaceful, productive life of loving, meaningful relationships.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

There are many stories in this wonderful Steamfunk Anthology. Here is an excerpt from my tale in the Steamfunk Anthology which can be purchased at amazon at at MV Media

Excerpt from Oh Western Wind:

At noon as the sun lazed in the sky,
the king managed to steel himself and forced himself to kiss her lips. It was
not as bad as he had feared. Then, taking Kyung-Tak with him, he walked toward
the flying ship — a wonder of iron and wood. When he entered, he looked about
at the wheels large and smalls, and at the great rudder that steered the ship
through the air. Having all understanding of sailing ships, he instinctively
knew how to guide the craft. Only this or that he had to learn, and those he
readily understood. He worked avidly at managing the gears, steam, and pipes of
the ship and tests proved the dirigible safe and Min Ho competent.Then, Min Ho sat in the pilot’s seat
and Kyung-Tak took the navigator’s. Seated in the dirigible, the king looked
through the window where he saw Tae-Yung following behind Queen Enyeydi, both
of them looking at the craft. Min Ho nodded to them then pushed this button and
then that one.A loud squeaking metallic sound rose
up. The sounds of gears, grinding against each other, water rushing through
pumps and pipes and a sudden heat enveloping the cabin. Then the thing lifted
slowly from the ground, wobbling a bit from side to side. The airship moved
slowly eked itself into the skies, maneuvering through, around, and above the
turrets of the palace. Watching, Queen Enyeydi almost forgot to breathe. The
little ship rose into the sky and disappeared – a gray dirigible into gray
mists.Inside the ship, the king marveled at
his wife’s imagination. “How wise a wife I have!” he said.

Milton Davis – Milton Davis is owner/publisher of MVmedia, LLC . As an author he specializes in science fiction and fantasy and is the author of Meji Book One, Meji Book Two and Changa’s Safari. Visit him: www.mvmediaatl.com andwww.wagadu.ning.com .

Ray Dean – Growing up in Hawaii, Ray Dean had the opportunity to enjoy nearly every culture under the sun. The Steamfunk Anthology was an inspiration she couldn't pass up. Ray can be reached at http://www.raydean.net/.

Malon Edwards – Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Malon Edwards now lives in the Greater Toronto Area. Much of his speculative fiction features people of color and is set in his hometown. Malon can be reached at eastofmars.blogspot.com.

Rebecca M. Kyle – With a birthday on Friday 13, it's only natural that the author is fascinated with myths, legends, and oddities of all kinds. Ms. Kyle lives with her husband, four cats, and more rocks and books than she cares to count between the Smokies and Cumberland mountains.Visit her at http://bexboox13.blogspot.com/.

Carole McDonnell – is a writer of Christian, supernatural, and ethnic stories. Her writings appear in various anthologies, including So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonialism in Science Fiction, edited by Nalo Hopkinson; Jigsaw Nation; and Life Spices from Seasoned Sistahs: Writings by Mature Women of Color among others. Her reviews appear in print and at various online sites. Her novels are the Christian speculative fiction, Wind Follower, and The Constant Tower. Her Bible study is called: Seeds of Bible Study. Her website is http://carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com/.

Balogun Ojetade – Author of the bestselling “Afrikan Martial Arts: Discovering the Warrior Within” (non-fiction), “Moses: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman” (Steamfunk); “Once Upon A Time in Afrika” (Sword and Soul); “Redeemer” (Urban Fantasy) and the film, “A Single Link” and “Rite of Passage”. Finally, he is Co-Author of “Ki-Khanga: The Anthology” and Co-Editor of “Steamfunk!” Visit him: http://chroniclesofharriet.com/.

Hannibal Tabu – is a writer, a storyteller, and by god, a fan. He has written the novels, “The Crown: Ascenscion” and “Faraway” and the upcoming scifi political thriller “Rogue Nation”. He is currently the co-owner and editor-in-chief of Black geek website Komplicated at the Good Men Project, and uses his Operative Network website (www.operative.net) to publish his poetry, market what he's doing, rant at the world and emit strangled cries for help.

Geoffrey Thorne – Geoffrey Thorne has written a lot of stuff in a lot of venues and will be writing more in more. It's his distinct pleasure to take part in another of these groundbreaking anthologies. Thanks for letting me roll with you folks. For more (and God knows why you'd want more) check out http://www.geoffreythorne.com/.

Saturday, March 09, 2013

God is so good and so loving. Lately, He's been telling me to work on love and to work on truth.

By truth, He's been saying to stick as close to the Bible way of doing things as possible. For instance, the Bible says we should call for the elders of the church if we're sick. Not the elder, not the pastor, not the person who gave the sermon that particular day. There is no scripture that says the person who did the sermon that day is anointed to pray for the sick. God wants things done the way He says, and the traditions of men have made the word of God to no effect. If God says he will heal by more than one - possibly to not allow pride in one person or to not allow the congregation to start trusting in one person-- then we should go with the direction of two by two or at least not one person. I always feel like I'm being such a pill when I stick with the Bible and other folks are falling into cultural/traditional modes but I really feel as if God is saying to follow His direction period.

So Ill be teaching on the Lord's Prayer tomorrow, i think. And the idea that it is OUR father, that communal love for the others in God's family is very important. There is no way one can say the Lord's prayer truthfully and say it for one's self alone. There are too many "our" and "us" in that prayer. Even if we live a sinful life, love covers a multitude of sins and love is the more excellent way.

Also, it really p*sses me off that my church has this habit of starting prayers with "First, Father, I want to ask you to forgive me of all my sins." I don't mind folks doing this because we do sin but it's become such a pattern, and I find myself thinking that the whole notion of God as Father is being lost in this God-is-judge-and-is-judging-me shuffle. So, I'll begin with God as OUR and God as FATHER. Will see how this works out.

Been trying to be more loving in my heart. God has been telling me to pray for others more than for myself, and he really showed me in Isaiah 58 how so much of our so-called spirituality is about us, us, us and our needs. Miracles won't happen if we don't forget ourselves. I don't think he minds us praying for ourselves but as Christians, the idea of loving our brothers communally and praying for them everyday is the way to go.

Also, I've been trying to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep. This is a real strengthening of the soul because one hears bad stuff on the news everyday and one never really prays for these victims more than a minute, if that. Or one cannot truly pray for some folks because one really has a wound in one's heart -- caused by said person. So hard. But it's so necessary to live a life of praying for others. Not just a life of prayer but of praying for others.

Thursday, March 07, 2013

FUNKY, COLD MEDINA…OR TIMBUKTU: Building the world of my Steamfunk story So far, I've only written three steamfunk stories. One is A Cry for Hire, which is in the anthology, Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, edited by Warren Lapine. That story involves creating another world entirely. It is a Christian African-American steamfunk story and it has all the concerns a modern Black Christian woman might have, concerns one would not find in the typical steampunk story. One rarely finds religious concerns and issues of prejudice in a non-Black steampunk story. The other story, Oh Western Wind, is in the Steamfunk Anthology and is a world based on my love of folklore and my love of Korean sajeuk (period pieces, much like Japanese samurai films.) In this story, I joined both cultures in what I called a funklore story because I wanted to put dirigibles into an old folktale. An excerpt of this story is posted later in this series.The third is A Little Haven, which is about how it would really go down if we had a Captain Nemo figure. I'm not a fan of mad controlling men, alas. Here is an excerpt of my story, A Cry for Hire which is in the Fantastic Stories of the Imagination anthology.

But when she pushed aside the curtains
and touched the sill, she saw, not the porches, not the brown, gray, and green
of the small town but a world of apartments (or very like apartments) quite
tall, looming all about her. People were traveling through the sky on
conveyances very like modern, newer versions, of the pulleys inside her house.Wheels, shafts, and chains abounded.
Ropes, cables, belts, of various sizes and complexities. Some consisted only of
belt drives, were short, and hung between neighboring buildings. Others seemed
to work walkways, pulling them horizontally or vertically . Others were more
complicated and were made of multiple blocks and tackles, chains and gears,
intertwined and interdependent, rolling into, past, over, and through each
other, and stretching the lengths of many stories and buildings. Fixed or
movable, compound or simple, rusty or polished, the pulleys seemed to display the class and wealth of those who
traveled upon or owned them. These folks must have lived a long time here,
Novella thought, and have raised children here for countless generations. She
didn’t know why those were the first words to come to her mind but there they
were.Amazed, curious, afraid, she opened
the window. A large ledge protruded out from below it. In her own world Novella
would have stood on the first or second floor looking out at the sidewalk
outside her house. But, now, she seemed to look out from a large height.
Gripping her window ledge firmly, her palms sweating, she crawled out as much
as courage could embolden her and looked down at the highways below. The lower
part of her house seemed part of a large apartment which rose thousands of feet
above the earth, its foundations and lower floors unseen. Traffic on the
traversing highways, the chain drives, mechanized pulleys carrying cargo and
passengers, the human-operated ones with single or many passengers. . .dwindled
into sparser routes as they descended toward the depths. Below those highways, solitary
dark roads, then nothing. Workers lumbered onto walkways or pulleys descended
alongside the refuse and falling ash into a bottomless pit of debris. Gradually
the highways dwindled to private walkways or
personal pulleys, or harnesses, then nothing. There seemed to be no
transportation in the lower depths.Novella crawled back inside the window
and looked skyward. The pulleys, conveyances, and walkways reached far into the
misty clouds. Adults and children traveled on movable sky lobbies and shiny cable
cars, or waited in waiting rooms that hung like scaffold. Above the station
depot, fewer highways and lanes, then when the clouds overtook the mist –sky
and nothing else.

My stories are all included in my anthology, Spirit Fruit

This collection of published stories by novelist Carole McDonnell - - author of the acclaimed multicultural Christian fantasy novels "Wind Follower" and "The Constant Tower"- - bring together multicultural concerns, spirituality, and speculative fiction. The fantastical elements in these tales range from contemporary worlds to alternate worlds, from Europe to Africa to worlds yet to come. Crusaders amid spiritual battles and courtly love are side by side with African fairies, the non-verbal inhabitants of a non-verbal world, a dying old Jamaican witch, and Asian princes. In this multicultural age, fantasy and supernatural stories are joined to stories about spiritual journeys in our own world and beyond.

Please visit other writers of steamfunk at their websites or homepages

Milton Davis – Milton Davis is owner/publisher of MVmedia, LLC . As an author he specializes in science fiction and fantasy and is the author of Meji Book One, Meji Book Two and Changa’s Safari. Visit him: www.mvmediaatl.com andwww.wagadu.ning.com .

Ray Dean – Growing up in Hawaii, Ray Dean had the opportunity to enjoy nearly every culture under the sun. The Steamfunk Anthology was an inspiration she couldn't pass up. Ray can be reached at http://www.raydean.net/.

Malon Edwards – Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Malon Edwards now lives in the Greater Toronto Area. Much of his speculative fiction features people of color and is set in his hometown. Malon can be reached at eastofmars.blogspot.com.

Rebecca M. Kyle – With a birthday on Friday 13, it's only natural that the author is fascinated with myths, legends, and oddities of all kinds. Ms. Kyle lives with her husband, four cats, and more rocks and books than she cares to count between the Smokies and Cumberland mountains.Visit her at http://bexboox13.blogspot.com/.

Carole McDonnell – is a writer of Christian, supernatural, and ethnic stories. Her writings appear in various anthologies, including So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonialism in Science Fiction, edited by Nalo Hopkinson; Jigsaw Nation; and Life Spices from Seasoned Sistahs: Writings by Mature Women of Color among others. Her reviews appear in print and at various online sites. Her novels are the Christian speculative fiction, Wind Follower, and The Constant Tower. Her Bible study is called: Seeds of Bible Study. Her website is http://carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com/.

Balogun Ojetade – Author of the bestselling “Afrikan Martial Arts: Discovering the Warrior Within” (non-fiction), “Moses: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman” (Steamfunk); “Once Upon A Time in Afrika” (Sword and Soul); “Redeemer” (Urban Fantasy) and the film, “A Single Link” and “Rite of Passage”. Finally, he is Co-Author of “Ki-Khanga: The Anthology” and Co-Editor of “Steamfunk!” Visit him: http://chroniclesofharriet.com/.

Hannibal Tabu – is a writer, a storyteller, and by god, a fan. He has written the novels, “The Crown: Ascenscion” and “Faraway” and the upcoming scifi political thriller “Rogue Nation”. He is currently the co-owner and editor-in-chief of Black geek website Komplicated at the Good Men Project, and uses his Operative Network website (www.operative.net) to publish his poetry, market what he's doing, rant at the world and emit strangled cries for help.

Geoffrey Thorne – Geoffrey Thorne has written a lot of stuff in a lot of venues and will be writing more in more. It's his distinct pleasure to take part in another of these groundbreaking anthologies. Thanks for letting me roll with you folks. For more (and God knows why you'd want more) check out http://www.geoffreythorne.com/.

Sunday, March 03, 2013

MAKE MY FUNK THE STEAMFUNK, I WANT MY FUNK UNCUT: Steampunk, Science Fiction and Fantasy as social commentaryOne of the best examples of Steamfunk as social commentary is found in the series Moses: The Chronicles of Harriet TubmanThis book is written by one of the editors of the Steamfunk anthology.

“I’m gon’ drive the evil out and send it back to Hell, where it belong!” – Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman: Freedom fighter. Psychic. Soldier. Spy. Something…more. Much more. In “MOSES: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman (Book 1: Kings * Book 2: Judges)”, the author masterfully transports you to a world of wonder…of horror…of amazing inventions, captivating locales and extraordinary people. In this novel of dark fantasy (with a touch of Steampunk), Harriet Tubman must match wits and power with the sardonic John Wilkes Booth and a team of hunters with powers beyond this world in order to save herself, her teenaged nephew, Ben and a little girl in her care – Margaret. But is anyone who, or what, they seem?

About the Author

Balogun Ojetade is the author of the bestselling “Afrikan Martial Arts: Discovering the Warrior Within” (Boss Up Inc. Publishing, 2008) and screenwriter / producer / director of the film, “A Single Link”. He is one of the leading authorities on Steamfunk – a philosophy or style of writing that combines the African and / or African American culture and approach to life with that of the steampunk philosophy and / or steampunk fiction – and writes about it, the craft of writing and Steampunk in general, at http://chroniclesofharriet.wordpress.com/

He is author of three novels – “MOSES: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman” (Steampunk)(Roaring Lions Productions); “Redeemer” (Science Fiction) (Mocha Memoirs Press); and “Once Upon A Time In Afrika” (Sword & Soul) (MVmedia Publishing). He is also co-creator of the soon-to-be-released role-playing game, “Ki-Khanga™: The Sword & Soul RPG”. Finally, Balogun is Master Instructor of the Afrikan Martial Arts Institute and Technical Director of Martial Ministries of America, a non-profit organization that serves at-risk youth. He is also a traditional African priest, actor and conflict resolution specialist, who works and lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, his seven daughters and his son.

Please visit Balogun and other writers of steamfunk at their websites or homepages and definitely check out the kindle version of Steamfunk!

Milton Davis – Milton Davis is owner/publisher of MVmedia, LLC . As an author he specializes in science fiction and fantasy and is the author of Meji Book One, Meji Book Two and Changa’s Safari. Visit him: www.mvmediaatl.com andwww.wagadu.ning.com .

Ray Dean – Growing up in Hawaii, Ray Dean had the opportunity to enjoy nearly every culture under the sun. The Steamfunk Anthology was an inspiration she couldn't pass up. Ray can be reached at http://www.raydean.net/.

Malon Edwards – Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Malon Edwards now lives in the Greater Toronto Area. Much of his speculative fiction features people of color and is set in his hometown. Malon can be reached at eastofmars.blogspot.com.

Rebecca M. Kyle – With a birthday on Friday 13, it's only natural that the author is fascinated with myths, legends, and oddities of all kinds. Ms. Kyle lives with her husband, four cats, and more rocks and books than she cares to count between the Smokies and Cumberland mountains.Visit her at http://bexboox13.blogspot.com/.

Carole McDonnell – is a writer of Christian, supernatural, and ethnic stories. Her writings appear in various anthologies, including So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonialism in Science Fiction, edited by Nalo Hopkinson; Jigsaw Nation; and Life Spices from Seasoned Sistahs: Writings by Mature Women of Color among others. Her reviews appear in print and at various online sites. Her novels are the Christian speculative fiction, Wind Follower, and The Constant Tower. Her Bible study is called: Seeds of Bible Study. Her website is http://carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com/.

Balogun Ojetade – Author of the bestselling “Afrikan Martial Arts: Discovering the Warrior Within” (non-fiction), “Moses: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman” (Steamfunk); “Once Upon A Time in Afrika” (Sword and Soul); “Redeemer” (Urban Fantasy) and the film, “A Single Link” and “Rite of Passage”. Finally, he is Co-Author of “Ki-Khanga: The Anthology” and Co-Editor of “Steamfunk!” Visit him: http://chroniclesofharriet.com/.

Hannibal Tabu – is a writer, a storyteller, and by god, a fan. He has written the novels, “The Crown: Ascenscion” and “Faraway” and the upcoming scifi political thriller “Rogue Nation”. He is currently the co-owner and editor-in-chief of Black geek website Komplicated at the Good Men Project, and uses his Operative Network website (www.operative.net) to publish his poetry, market what he's doing, rant at the world and emit strangled cries for help.

Geoffrey Thorne – Geoffrey Thorne has written a lot of stuff in a lot of venues and will be writing more in more. It's his distinct pleasure to take part in another of these groundbreaking anthologies. Thanks for letting me roll with you folks. For more (and God knows why you'd want more) check out http://www.geoffreythorne.com/.

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Carole McDonnell

Writer of The Constant Tower, Wind Follower, Spirit Fruit: Collected Speculative Fiction by Carole McDonnell, Seeds of Bible Study: How NOT to study the Bible. Soon to be published (if i stop procrastinating): Scapegoats and Sacred Cows of Bible Study, My Life as an Onion, Oreo Blues, The Boy Next Door From Faraway, The Temple of their Idols, Pen of the Ready Writer

My stories are included in various anthologies including:

Fantastic Stories of the Imagination edited by Warren Lapine, So Long Been Dreaming by Nalo Hopkinson. Griots, edited by Milton Davis and Charles Saunders; Griots II: Women of the spear, edited by Milton Davis and Charles Saunders; Steamfunk, edited by Milton Davis and Balogun Ojetade

Reviewer on Blogcritics, Reviewer and Religion writer on Examiner.com, reviewer on Curledup.com